The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
A hybrid electric vehicle may use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to provide torque to maximize fuel economy. To start an engine of a hybrid vehicle, a motor generator may function as an electric motor and draw electrical energy from a battery pack to drive the engine crankshaft. When the engine is running, the motor generator may function as a generator and be driven by the engine to recharge the battery pack.
Typically, a hybrid vehicle may shut the engine off when the hybrid vehicle stops (e.g., for a traffic light) to reduce fuel consumption. The hybrid vehicle may only stop for a very short period of time and the fuel saving may be limited. For example, the traffic light may turn from red to green after a short period. In these situations, shutting the engine off may achieve limited fuel saving and a time delay in restarting the engines.